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August 29, 2006 | Tips from Us > Smithers, Fishing
What do autumn leaves mean to you--back to school; end of summer holidays? To me, it means steelhead fishing in the Bulkley River. The Bulkley River, running through the Town of Smithers, is a tributary of the Skeena River, the watershed of the entire northwest BC. The steelhead is a river-going rainbow trout. But because it spends part of each year in the Pacific Ocean, it can grow to 25 pounds or more. Given muscles of this size and a rainbow trout's athleticism, it's little wonder why people from all over the world come to Smithers each fall. Fly fishing (both wet and dry) is the most popular technique for steelhead fishing although fishing with 'gear' is popular, too. Catch and release is standard on the Skeena 'system' and special conservation tags are required for many of the tributaries of the Skeena.
August 29, 2006 | Tips from Us > Smithers, Cruising
As most Visitor Centre staff know, not all visitors--for one reason or another--don't go to the Visitor Centre. In Smithers, we understood this but wanted to do something about it. We created the Smithers "VIBE". "VIBE" stands for Visitor Information Bettering Our Economy. It's a pilot project to measure the effectiveness of of a mobile Visitor Centre. And so far, we've had very encouraging results. Staffed by two Visitor Counsellors, our specially equipped van visits our airport, railway and bus station on a daily basis. Together with an identifiable tent, we also set up at 'touristy' spots around town and at special events. VIBE is entirely sponsored by chamber members. In return, they receive special advertising privileges such as decals on the van and radio and tv ads. We're looking forward to continue the VIBE next summer.
August 29, 2006 | Tips from Us > Victoria, Artists & Art Galleries
Find more information about Victoria, Artists & Art Galleries
The first thing I notice as I walk into room #308 is the amazing array of artwork. The immense
Roy Henry Vickers carving of a Tshimshian Halibut and Octopus Red Cedar House Post dominates the entrance way. An original Jack Shadbolt collage, Birds in a Tree #2, is tucked away in the corner of the living room, humble in its place, yet bursting with colour. The
Toni Onley in the dining room is, unfortunately, too big to stuff into my suitcase and take home, like shampoo and shower caps.
To say I am in awe would be an understatement. I am standing in the middle of a private art gallery / hotel room, filled with the work of famous B.C. artists - who wouldn’t be drop-jawed? And then there are the antiques. Original Louis Vuitton luggage in the bedroom. Asian dressers with secret drawers. Light fixtures, vases, butlers and books. Too many to place in time.
I can easily (and literally) see why the renovated heritage hotel, the
Swan’s Suites Hotel, is known as
Victoria’s “Art Hotel.”
The next morning, in the
Brewpub where breakfast is served, I spot three Toni Onley watercolours in the entranceway, and many Firs
August 28, 2006 | Tips from Us > Armstrong, Festivals & Events
The
107th Annual Interior Provincial Exhibition and Stampede is ready to roll! Beginning
August 30th until September 3rd, enjoy the sights and sounds of a truly agricultural fair. A few insider hints from those who have been there: 1.
Come early -
gates open at 7:30am. Get a parking spot - cost $5.00 - don't use your gas driving around looking for a free spot - support our local non-profit groups. All proceeds from the large lots go to support community events. 2.
Gate admission - the best deal in BC -
$12.00 for adults - includes everything except food and the midway.
Canadian Pro Rodeo action begins nightly at
8pm and is part of your gate admission! 3. Looking for an
alternative to
traditional fair food? Don't miss the
Haystacks, horse blankets and sit down suppers sponsored by local churches and non-profit groups. And what's a fair without mini donuts or a corn dog? Come see us at the fair - we'll meet you at the front gate!
August 25, 2006 | Tips from Us > Nelson, Coffee Houses
A tip from a friend led us to the
Oso Negro coffee shop in Nelson. This is a great place to sit back with a cuppa and check out the passing Nelson scene - a bohemian hipster town where peasant dresses mix well with high-tech hiking gear. Oso Negro means Black Bear in Spanish, and is a reference to the global nature of the coffee biz; you can rest easy in the knowledge that the beans are fairly traded. If you're looking for something stronger than coffee - say a pint of the locally brewed
Liplock Ale - check out the Library... the lobby-level bar in Nelson's
Hume Hotel.
August 19, 2006 | Tips from Us > Mount Robson, View Points
Welcome to our Mount Robson blog site. We will be updating the blog weekly (or more) with interesting stories about our adventures here at Mount Robson. The Chinnok Salmon are currently spawning in the Fraser River. After a 1400km long journey from Vancouver, they arrive at Mount Robson park, and can be seen jumping up Rearguard Falls. The best time to see them is generally from about 4:30 pm to sunset (approx. 9:30pm). Yesterday I hiked up the Yellowhead Mountain, which is on the east side of the park. It was a beautiful day, although we did not see any wildlife (besides a squirrel carrying a huge mushroom) but we had great weather. It was so clear when we arrived at the end of the trail, we got a great view of Mount Fitzwilliam as well as some peaks in Jasper National Park.
August 17, 2006 | Tips from Us > Osoyoos, Wineries & Vineyards
For the second year in a row, my family and I chose to spend our vacation in Osoyoos, located in the Southern region of the Okanagan. Osoyoos is situated in Canada's only desert, which makes it a wonderful destination to enjoy the warm Osoyoos Lake and the hot sun all in a relaxing atmosphere. It is also part of BC's wine region and the wineries were calling! We decided we would tear ourselves away from the lawn chairs for a short trip. One morning when a few clouds had appeared, my cousin and I left the boys and the Dads at home to take a scenic drive to a great winery...Tinhorn Creek. The Southern Okanagan region produces some of the best award-winning British Columbia wines and is riddled with wineries offering wine tours and tastings. Neither of us had been to Tinhorn Creek before. We drove North towards Oliver through bursting fruit orchards and came upon the winery, which is set atop the hill in this beautiful valley. The vineyards were filled with grapes growing to produce, in my opinion, some delicious BC wines. When we entered the building we were greeted graciously with the offer to taste some wines. Regardless of the fact that it was 10:00 am in the morning - how could we refuse? We pondered on the deck overlooking the vineyard and the valley right down to Osoyoos Lake. What an amazing view! Did we really have to leave? We did -- the lawn chairs and hot sun were now calling - but not without a few bottles in hand to take home!
August 16, 2006 | Tips from Us > Kamloops, Scenic Drives
On my journey this last weekend I experienced utopia down the stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway (good ole #1), between
Kamloops and
Chase. I had Johnny Cash blaring in my ears and warm wind streaking through my hair, which was still wet from swimming in the North
Shuswap Lake, but drying fast. I was a happy traveller and doing just fine. So fine in fact, I wanted to share it with you.
At this point on the road, the highway runs along the South Thompson river at the bottom point in the “V” between two cowboy-country mini-mountain ranges, with the meandering river splitting the valley in two. Train tracks run sandwiched between the riverbank and the roaring sound of motorcycles, RVs, and pick-up trucks pulling speedboats and dirtbikes. The hills on the highway side are covered in Ponderosa Pine, with green agricultural lands butting up against where the needles start. I drove by roadside fruitstands, rodeos and golf courses. On the other side of the river I could see eroding cliffs of dusty earth, farmhouses, cows, horses and riverfront mansions. I would have liked to transform the highway into a dirt path and ride horseback. Or perhaps just float along the river on a log raft or inner tube!
As Cash’s rail-driving song, Legend of John Henry’s Hammer, was hammering away in my ears a long train passed by (or perhaps I zoomed by the train). Perfect timing! Sunny day, good music, and a perfect one-hour drive down a road meant for driving.
August 9, 2006 | Tips from Us > Prince George, Scenic Drives
A friend of a friend recently drove from Toronto to
British Columbia, through the Yukon and north to Alaska - and then back to Toronto. Across
Northern BC they took the Cassiar highway and had this to say about it: "basically it is THE only road... and very remote. It was a great drive. We saw tons of wild life including a linx and 3 kittens, our first of the trip. We then headed through Prince George towards Jasper. We were looking forward to the comparison of the Rockies to what we had seen... and well when we literally turned a corner in the road and were smacked in the face with
Mount Robson... we both, slack jawed agreed -the rockies do not disappoint!!" She also sent out an email with great notes from the entire trip, which I thought I would pass a few along to you. Subject: I almost miss the car.... Number of kms driven -15952 Number of nights away -37 Number of nights camped -22 (the remainder spent with friends, family and motels) Number of bears seen -11 (5 Grizzlies) Number of Moose seen-8 Number of Mosquitos seen -I don't know... lost count at 1 BILLION Other animals seen... lynx, multiple fox types, elk, mountain goats, big horned sheep, countless bald eagles, sea otters, porpoises, seals, humpbacks and puffins... oh and mosquitos Best animal sighting, 1 grizzly with 3 cubs Scariest animal sighting, the mosquito (scariest animal non-sighting, the 'no see em's') Number of Cracks on the windshield -1 (pretty good considering......) Number of kms driven on gravel/dirt roads -about 1600 Number of oil changes 1 Number of times we could have driven to Vancouver in the distance we traveled... 4 Number of times flipped raft (while white watering in GLACIER fed water) 5 Number of kms hiked in 4 straight days of chilkoot trail 7